Cotton-picking machine.



BE FJT AVNLABLE G PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

J. F. OSHAUGHNBSSY.

' COTTON PICKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT' 1.

.110 u omm.

Q'EST AVNLKELE CUP No. 775,456. PATBNTBD NOV. 22, 1904.

J. F. OSHAUGHNBSSY..

COTTON PIGKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '2.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FRANCIS OSHAUGHNESSY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE COTTON PIOKER COMPANY, A COR- PORATION OF MAINE.

COTTON-PIYICKING MACHINE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,456, dated November 22, 1904.

' Application filed May is, 1904.. semi No. 207,883. (No model.)

'To all whom it may concern.-

I BeitknownthatLJAMEsFRANoIsOSHAUGH- NEss'Y, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Cotton-PickingMachine, of which A the following is a specification.

lwhich is simple injconstruction and conven lent for use.

This invention relates to cotton-picking machines v V a The Object of the invention is to provide a machine for aiding in the picking of cotton The invention consists, substantially, inthe construction and combination of parts de-' scribed in the succeeding specification and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Like reference-letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and

- Fig. 3 is a frontelevation, partly in section,

of the machine as it stands in the cotton-field.

The ordinary method of picking cotton by hand is slow and very laborious, especially in view of the torrid climate and season of the year at which the harvest is gathered, and yet machines for effecting this picking of the cotton have not thus far met with such success as to displace hand-picking. It is not the aim of the present invention to actually pick the cotton by mechanical means; but it is its pur-' pose to lighten the labor of the human cottonpicker in two waysfirst, by transporting him across the field, and, second, by relieving him of the duty of carrying the cotton after it is picked.

In the drawings there is shown a suitable vehicle composed of a frame A, supported on and carried by the axles of four tractionwheels B B .B B. The width of this frame depends'upon the number of rows it is wished to straddle, and the length of the frame depends upon the number of operators it is de sired to carry. In the drawings the frame is shown of such a width as to straddle two rows of plants and of such length as to carry four r '3" v PADQBL of the machine..-

Tatented November 22 1904.

operators, and these dimensions are found convenient for ordinary conditions, but of course they may be varied at the will of the constructor. The vehicle thus formed may be drawn by any suitable power. In the draw.- ings attachments are connected with the vehicle suitable for horse-power. This vehicle is designed to straddle one, two, or any desired number of rows of plants, and as shown in the drawings it straddles two rows of such plants.

Supported from the frame in any suitable manner are aseries of seats, (indicated by reference-letters C in the drawings,) whict seats should be arranged approximately fi line with each other and preferably at diifer ent heights, with the forward seat lowest anc the rearward seat highest, as indicated in-Fig 2 of the drawings. The said seats should be also arranged soas to be within easy reach o a row of cotton-plants when the vehicle is it the field and in operation.

Adjacent to the seats and preferably below them is an endless belt or carrier D, which ex tends horizontally for practically the lengtl of the vehicle and then is diverted to a ver tical direction by suitable idlers and up to 2 drum about thetop of'the machine and at the rear thereof. The other end of this belt that is, the forward. endpasses around an idler journaled in the frame, as shown. This drum at the rear of the machine is secured tc a gear H, which is driven by a pinion G, the latter secured to a shaft K by a suitable sprocket, and a sprocket-chain E is driven from} a sprocket L, fastened to the shaft or axle oi the rear pair of traction-wheels, whereby this endless belt derives its motion from the trac tion of the wheels. This endless beltreceives, the cotton which-is picked by the operators} who merely drop it on the belt and then saic belt or conveyer carries it upward and de posits it in any suitable receptaclesuch, fol instance, as the receptacle I, which may con. veniently have detachably connected theretf: a bag J, and the latter may when fullbe de} tached and another substituted. 1

It is evident from the foregoing descriptio= seer N E of one form of mechanism illustrating the broad invention herein disclosed that the machine comprises a vehicle adapted to support any suitable number of operators and also to support conveniently thereto a conveyer for taking care of the cotton after it is picked and carrying it to a suitable receptacle and that many variations may be made in the details of construction Without departing from this general system.

In the operation the machine is drawn over the field so as to carry as many operators as is convenient close enough to a row of plants to enable them to conveniently pick the cotton therefrom, and in the instanceillustrated, which is found most desirable in practice, the seats of the operators are arranged so as to be placed between the two rows of plants, so that both rows can be picked at once. Furthermore, the cotton when picked is dropped by the operator on the traveling belt or conveyer,

and the latter carriesit rearward and upward ceive it.

.entire time and strength to the picking oper ation, and the capacity of each operator is for a similar reason kept at a much higher notch for continuous effort during the working hours. Moreover, as the strain on the operator is so much less than in the ordinary cotton-picking operation many more Women and persons of frail physique and immature years may be conveniently employed.

VVhatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine to aid the operator in the picking of cotton; the combination with a vehicle adapted to be drawn over the cottonfield and having supports for one or more operators, a receptacle for the cotton, and means for conveying the cotton to the'receptacle and arranged adjacent to the operators; for the purpose set forth.

2. In a machine to aid the operator in the picking of cotton; the combination with avehicle adapted to be drawn over the cottonfield and constructed to straddle one or more rows of plants, of supports for a number of operators on such vehicle, a support for a conveyer also on said vehicle, and means operated by the traction of the vehicle for actuating the conveyer; for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine to aid the operator in the picking of cotton; a set of traction-Wheels adapted to be drawn over the cotton-field, a frame supported on such traction-wheels, seats for operators supported on such frame between the traetion-wheels, a conveyer actuated by the traction-wheels and'extending in proximity to the operators, and a receptacle carried by the frame and adjacent to the rear end of the conveyer; for the purpose set forth.

- 4:. In a machine to aid the operator in the picking of cotton; a set oftraction-wheels adapted to be drawn over the field, a frame supported on such traction-wheels, a series of seats for operators carried by the frame and arranged between the traction-wheels, a. movable conveyer supported by said frame adjacent to the seats and extending from front to rear of the machine, gearing on the axle of onepair' of traction-wheels connected with gearing arranged in connection with the conatthe delivery end of the conveyer; for the purpose set forth.

5. 'Ina machine to aid the operator in the picking of cotton; the combination of a set of traction-wheels arranged in pairs and having their axles at such distances apart as to provide room for the support of a number of operators, a frame secured to such axles and carrying the seats for-the operators and also carrying supports for a movable conveyer arranged adjacent to the seats, and a receptacle at the rear of the machine carried thereby and arranged adjacent to the rear end of the conveyer; for the purpose set forth.'

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 9th day of May, 1904., in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

JAMES FRANCIS OSHAUGHNESSY. Witnesses:

A. L. CoNKLIN, Jr., H. W. WITTEN'BERG.

veyer for operating the same, and a receptacle 

